The Athletic, now owned by the New York Times, does not allow its beat reporters/columnists to bet on the sports they cover. They appear to be taking an ad-hoc approach when it comes to employees betting on games. Similarly, the rapid embrace of sports betting has created a minefield for leagues and sports media companies. Now that the league has abandoned its long-standing opposition to sports betting, it’s struggling from a growing number of player violations. On the other hand, trying to ban ESPN’s gambling-savvy on-air talent like Scott Van Pelt of “Bad Beats” fame, much less the rest of its 5,000 employees, from betting on their own company app will be like trying to keep a hungry dog from its dinner. More from inside the deal deck with ⤵️- Front Office Sports August 9, 2023 ESPN Bet projects as high as a 20% share of the domestic online sports betting market by 2027, according to its investor presentation.